Improvement in treadles



UNITED FFIOE.

GEORGE F. LETZ AND ADOLPH T. DUEVER, OF OHlOAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID LETZASSIGNOR TO SAID DUEVER, AND SAID DUEVER ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-NINTHS HISRIGHT TO ELIZABETH M. LETZ, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 163,322, dated May 18,1875 application filed October 19, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. LETZ and ADOLPH T. DUEVER, of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented an ImprovedTreadle-Motion for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification The first part of our invention relates to the combinationof a beam oscillated by two treadles and two friction-pawls, with thefriction-wheel upon the driving-shaft of a sewing machine, whereby thelatter can be driven in but one direction, its movement rendered easy'and noiseless, and the treadles be caused to balance each other. Thesecond part of our invention relates to the peculiar manner of pivotingthe treadles, to wit, at the heel, whereby the movement of the operatorslimbs are rendered easy, natural, and less fatiguing than when thetreadles are oscillated at any point between the toe and the heel.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the treadlemotor. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the treadles. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is acrosssection of the friction-gear at m 00 in Fig. 5 which is a frontelevation of the same.

In the drawing, A represents the framestandard ofa sewing machine,supporting the table B. The pedals O (3 have each a sleeve under theheel, which sleeve is slipped over a shaft, a, which extends across theend of a low frame, D, which is secured to the rockshaft heretoforecarrying the pedals, and which frame extends toward the operator,allowing her to carry her limbs nearly or quite perpeu dicular, as isnatural in sitting, and not extendedforward,asheretofore. Thepedalshaveeach a pitman, E, pivoted to its toe end, the upper end of saidpitman'being pivoted to one end of a walking-beam, F, above, the otherpitman being pivoted to the other end of said beam, which is mounted onthe projecting end of a rock-shaft, G, journaled through a pair of metalframe-plates, H, pendent from the table. I is the driving-shaft of themachine, and is journaled through the frame-plates H, between whichafriction-wheel, J, is keyed on it. On each side of said wheel apawl-head, K, is sleeved on the shaft, and to its head a friction-pawl,L, is pivoted, so that its lower end rests upon the periphery of thewheel J, and is sloped off at a tangen so as to jam upon the wheel whenthe head is throwuforward. The pa-wlis thrown in this direction (tojamlby a light leafspring, a, on the head, which presses a lateral studon the pawl, as seen in Fig. 4. On the rock-shaft G two rockerarms, M M,are keyed at a right angle with each other, each being connected by alink, N, with one of the pawl-heads, so that in the oscillation of thewalking-beam by the pedals the pawls will alternately engage with thefriction-wheel and rotate it continuously in one direction. Thus themachine can always be started and run in the right direction, as thepawls are inoperative in the other.

WVhat we claim as our in vention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the beam F, actuated by two treadles, the rock-shaftG, rocker-arms M M, links N N, pawl-heads K K, pawls L L, and springsto, with the friction-wheel J to rotate the driving-shaft of asewing-machine, substantially as described.

GEORGE F. LETZ. ADOLPH T. DUEVER.

Witnesses:

WM. H. Lorz, HERMAN A. KROESOHELL.

